By JIMMY VIELKIND Capitol bureau

Published 1:00 am, Friday, July 16, 2010

ALBANY -- The magic number is 15,000, and almost everyone did much more.

It was a chaotic scene at the state Board of Elections on Thursday as candidates paraded in with stacks of the nominating petitions needed to get on the ballot. For those hoping to run statewide -- for governor, say, or a seat in the U.S. Senate -- it ended a month of coordinated door-knocking. They were eager to trumpet the achievement.

"I'm delighted. What I can say today is that the people have spoken," said candidate for U.S. Senate Joe DioGuardi, standing with a dozen supporters on cobblestoned Steuben Street. "By putting Joe DioGuardi on the Republican primary ballot, they have rejected back-room party politics as usual."

Like several candidates circulating petitions, DioGuardi fell short of his ballot bid at a political convention last month. His fellow Republicans advanced David Malpass and Bruce Blakeman to a September primary to determine who will be the GOP candidate against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, but spurned DioGuardi. But the ex-congressman from Westchester County is also the nominee of the Conservative Party, and pointed out Thursday that no Republican candidate since 1974 has won statewide without also running on the Conservative line.

Another Gillibrand challenger, Gail Goode, submitted petitions Wednesday. A former prosecutor from Brooklyn, the Democrat seeks to run in a primary against Gillibrand, who she considers a "political chameleon" who has not earned her office.

She delivered 45,000 signatures to the board. Getting them, she said, took her "life savings" of $200,000 for paid canvassers. DioGuardi submitted 25,666 signatures, also over the required limit, hoping to insulate himself from a challenge by his opponents.

Signatures can be ruled invalid if they are improperly witnessed or do not represent an enrolled member of the party.

Neither of Goode nor DioGuardi's rivals have said they would challenge the signatures. But Rick Lazio, the designated Republican gubernatorial candidate, is considering a challenge against Buffalo developer Carl Paladino.

Paladino, too, was spurned at the convention, but hired a renowned operative to coordinate his signature-gathering efforts. On Thursday, his aides filed roughly 28,000.

"That's nearly double the amount that's necessary. We're completely bulletproof," said Michael Caputo, Paladino's campaign manager. "And if Lazio and Republican Chairman Ed Cox want to challenge the wishes of 28,000 Republicans, I'm going to make them wear it like a cheap suit. At the Republican convention, Lazio convinced 400 people he wanted to be governor. I'll put my 28,000 against his 400 any day."

Lazio's aides were in Albany this week preparing to review the signatures. Barney Keller, a spokesman for the Lazio campaign, declined to comment on whether a challenge would take place.

There are some longer shots than DioGuardi, Goode and Paladino. A joint ticket of Jimmy McMillan, Joseph Huff and Randy Credico has submitted over 20,000 signatures to challenge Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo, Gillibrand and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer in a Democratic primary. "I'm confident we'll be on the ballot," said Credico, a stand-up comedian.